ABSORPTION OF THE WORD OF GOD Many people begin a life of serving the Lord Jesus Christ but as time passes their commitment to Him dims. There is no longer any excitement or joy in their walk with God. This doesn’t mean that they no longer know God, but they are certainly feeling spiritually dry, unproductive, and they may be deeply discouraged. Others who begin a walk with God are, after many years, still strongly committed and enjoying a satisfying and productive spiritual life. We need to learn, to understand, and to live what God teaches us in His Word, the Bible. God gave us the Bible to teach us how to know and to walk with Him. We can enjoy God’s blessings forever, rather than experiencing His judgement. His Word is eternally true. Meditate on them and the truths they teach. Learn to love God and His Word. Regularly ask God for a right understanding of Scriptural truths and then make them part of you. Absorb them. If you go over the material too quickly without much thought, it will have little or no lasting impact on your life. Commit yourself to making Biblical truths the foundation of your life and to putting them into practice every day of your life. (Psalm One) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. However, one thing is clear. Those who are committed and productive in their walk with God learn to regularly absorb and live the Word of God (the Bible). Those who become dry and unproductive do not make absorbing and applying the Word of God a regular part of their lives. God, who is the author of the Bible, expects us to read, to absorb, and to live His Word. We need to be willing to change attitudes and behavior patterns as we see areas of our life that need changing. Unwillingness to submit gives Satan a foothold and leads to defeat in our life. The Word of God leads us to faith in God and through it we learn how to live a God honoring life. Through the Bible we gain understanding, encouragement, and strength, and it leads us to growth, fruitfulness, and peace. To neglect God’s Word leads to fruitlessness and frustration. To be effective, our Bible reading/study needs to be regular. We must discipline ourselves and put effort into developing consistency over long periods of time. Solid spiritual growth takes time. We cannot expect instant growth. Quick growth is sometimes shallow and does not last. Be realistic in your expectations. God can work through any believer, even those whose growth is slow and sporadic, however, those He can consistently use are those who are faithful to Him and His Word over long periods of time. What are some reasons that some people have a long productive walk with God and others seem to fall by the wayside? What is one thing that individuals who have a long term productive walk with God have in common? (Ephesians 4:27) What does Satan want to do if he has a foothold in our life? Are you satisfied with your walk with God? To consistently walk with God over a long period of time, To regularly absorb and to submit to the Word of God. To develop good prayer habits. To regularly participate and serve in a solid, Bible teaching and practicing church. To honor God with our finances. These are as important to our spiritual life as air, food, and water are to our physical lives. Which of these things do you need to work on? Each of these are important. We need to concentrates on the absorption of the Word of God. Simply reading the Word of God does not mean you will automatically have a right understanding of the Word. Read the passage several times. Meditate on what you read. Ask God for a right understanding. You may want to use some Bible study aids. Be thankful and give God praise for the truths you learn. Then put what you learn into practice. To regularly read and study the Bible requires effort and discipline. Spiritual growth and walking with God does not come automatically. It is not a passive activity. It is an active pursuit (Proverbs 2:1-22) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it Amen.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 08:27:58 +0000
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